Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-07-15
Pulled Ont of the Ground.

One can imagine the excitement and
anxiety of the parents Of the little one
who experienced the thrilling adventure
and escape related below,-and their
solemn resolve when it was almost to
late) never again to leave deep hole
uncovered for child to fall in. The
trick Of lifting little children by their
heads, which is thought funny by some
mistaken people, is only justiiable as
a last resort in peril as here,-and
the man who performed it SO patiently
and skilfully, and saved a young life is
worthy of all praise. A farmer near
Thamesville, Ont, in endeavoring to
procure water, drilled atseveral points
holes in the ground foot in diameter
and of various depths, filing each up
before another was commenced, as soon
as it was evident that water was not
there.
The last one drilled was sunk fifty
feet. Into this hole came water, and
after time it was partly filled with
water and mud, the latter reduced to
soft consistency by the former.
The family had little two-year-old
boy playing about the dooryards, but
suddenly the baby was missed. Calling
him and hunting for him proved futile,
until the father thought of the hole
twelve inches in diameter.
AS last resort, without really think
ing the child was there, he looked into
the hole, but of course could see moth
ing. While doing so, however, he
thought he heard the child's voice, and
after several moments of anxious listen
ing, became satisfied that he was at
the bottom, at least twenty five feet
below the surface, in space Of such
small circumference that the possibility
OF rescue was a problem.
The neighbors were appealed to for
suggestions. Among others it was pro-
posed to dig down to the little one, but
it would take two or three days, said
one, and the child might die meantime,
while another called attention to the
prospect Of smothering or killing the
child by clods falling upon him.
Finally celored man came mp, and
was informed OF tho catastrophe
and dilemma. He asked for mirror,
and holding it above the hole, gazed in
to it and saw the reflection of the child
at the bottom. From the baby's posi-
ton, he had evidently stepped into the
hole, and with his clothing had filed it
so full as to sink gradually, the air be-
low offering resistance enough to pre-
vent any injuriously swift descent.
The colored man next asked for q
rope, on the end of which he made q
loop large enough to go over the child
head. Then he procured wooden strips
which he fastened strongly together,
until he had one strip twenty five feet
or more in length. He dropped the
rope. down the hole and lowered the
wooden strip.
While another person held the mir
ror above, the colored man knelt by
the opening, and taking bis bearings by
frequent observations in the mirror,
worked faithfully to place the loop over
the head Of the little one.
Meanwhile q physician had been sent
for, that he might be at hand in case OF
need. The colored man tried again and
again to get the loop over the back OF
the child's head and around under his
nose. The pressure against his nose
caused the little one to throw his head
back as far as possible, thus bringing
the weight principally on the back Of
the head, and in this position he was
pulled up to the surface. The doctor
examined him and found him little the
worse for his remarkable experience,
and he was then returned to his over
joyed parents and proper guard placed
about the mouth, of the hole.